Superhero Origins: Colossus

VO: Dan Paradis
The mutant known as Colossus has been a part of the X-Men saga since 1975, when Giant-Size X-Men #1 hit the stands. In this special issue, Professor X was searching for mutants across the globe, seeking to recruit a whole new team of X-Men. One of the mutants he identified lived on a farm in Siberia. A massively muscled worker by the name of Peter Rasputin, he had the power to turn his body to organic steel. Invited to join the X-Men, Peter accepted so he could learn to control his powers and use them for the good of the entire world. Join WatchMojo.com as we explore the comic book origin of Peter Rasputin, also known as Colossus. Special thanks to our user viliguns for submitting the idea on our WatchMojo.comsuggest page!

Superhero Origins: Collosus

Some people are thin-skinned, some are thick-skinned – but how many have skin made of steel? Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Peter Rasputin, also known as Colossus.

As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1975’s Giant-Size X-Men #1 and which was expanded upon in 2008’s X-Men Origins: Colossus.

The mutant known as Colossus has been a part of the X-Men saga since 1975, when Giant-Size X-Men #1 hit the stands. In this special issue, Professor X was searching for mutants across the globe, seeking to recruit a whole new team of X-Men.

One of the mutants he identified lived on a farm in Siberia. A massively muscled worker by the name of Peter Rasputin was toiling in the fields when a runaway tractor began barreling toward his young, unsuspecting sister. As Peter came between his sister and the tractor, his skin changed to a shining, steel-like substance; when the tractor struck him, it was it that was torn to pieces instead of him.

Immediately after this, Professor X contacted Peter, inviting him to join him so that Peter could learn to control his powers and use them for the good of the entire world. Though Peter was very happy living on the farm with his family, he followed his conscience, which told him he must use his powers in a way that would benefit more people.

Given a uniform and the name Colossus, Peter joined the other newly recruited X-Men – Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Thunderbird, Sunfire and Banshee – and together with veteran Cyclops, they embarked on a special mission. The other X-Men had all been captured by a very unusual mutant – a living island – and the new members had to rescue them and defeat the menace.

In the years that followed, Colossus became an integral part of the X-Men and its various permutations. In 2008, his origin story was expanded upon in the one-shot X-Men Origins: Colossus.

In this re-telling, readers learned that Peter – here given the more accurate Russian translation of Piotr – first became aware of his mutant abilities at age 13. Word reached his family that his beloved brother Mikhail had been killed while working on a government project; his grief and anguish caused young Piotr to undergo the transformation into his steel-encased state.

This transformation was witnessed by Alexander, a friend of Mikhail’s who had brought the family the tragic news of his death. Alexander worked for a KGB-like government agency and decided that it was his duty to report what he had seen. However, he knew that if he did so, Piotr would be captured and used by the agency for its own purposes.
He vowed to protect Piotr and began a long process of trying to reach Professor X.

Meanwhile, a government agent by the name of Dubenko was assigned to spy on Piotr and his family. After many years, Dubenko finally found proof that all was not as it seemed when he saw Piotr transform in secret to amuse his little sister. Dubenko called his superiors, who arranged for a group of agents to collect Piotr. During the fight that ensued, Piotr showed his strength – and Alexander dispatched the villainous Dubenko. Some time later, Professor X – who had been working with Alexander – witnessed Piotr save his sister from the rampaging tractor and soon after the newest member of the X-Men arrived in America.

Colossus has appeared in several of the animated television series as well as various of the X-Men movies. His spectacular transformation from human skin to steel skin is visually striking and makes quite an impact in other media.

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